If Things Were More Human
by NerdySpaceBean
Summary: A Ten/Rose fanfic for Valentine's Day. When the Doctor and Rose are visiting a space station, they come across some dream crabs. Soon, they find themselves in a dream state created from their innermost desires. They don't know how long it will last, or if things will have changed between them when they wake up... (Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, or any of the characters.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

 **Hello! Since tomorrow is the perfect day to write romance fanfic, I thought I'd apply it to my favourite Doctor Who couple, with some added sci-fi and a dash of angst. This fic will be multi-chaptered, so I'll be uploading the consecutive chapters over the next few days. I hope you enjoy, and have a great Valentine's Day yourselves!**

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 _Genesis 016-V, 7214 AD_

By the Doctor's request, he and Rose were currently situated on one of the rare space stations gravitating around Earth that the Doctor had not yet made a personal visit to. The sole purpose of the station was to monitor the atmosphere, and scan for any asteroids or meteors that could pose a potential threat to the surface of the planet, so it wasn't massively exciting for the two adventurers. However, that was soon about to change.

"It's funny," The Doctor began as he strolled hyperactively through the corridors, Rose following a split-second behind. "This is definitely a manned craft, yet we haven't heard a peep from the crew. It's only a small station as well, you think we'd have found them before now." He frowned.

"Maybe you're just being impatient." Rose teased, raising her eyebrows when the Doctor glanced at her wearing a hurt expression.

"I'm not impatient! Just… enthusiastic." The Doctor attempted to defend himself.

"Right." Rose agreed sarcastically. Before her friend had the chance to act offended, she smiled and skipped next to him, excitably looping her arm around his so they had no choice but to walk in step with each other. "Oh come on, Doctor! Stuff doesn't just happen straight away all the time, you know. Sometimes, we have to wait for adventure to come to us instead of looking for it."

"Yeah, you're probably right. I'm just not used to working that way. Hang on…" Trailing off distractedly, the Doctor reluctantly detached himself from Rose as he headed towards a monitor that had just caught his eye. There were a few various screens that showed different aspects of the station; there was a fuel meter, a temperature gauge, a map displaying corridors and rooms. Whipping out his reading glasses from his jacket pocket, the Doctor fiddled about with a few buttons until he found what he was looking for.

"Aha!" He pointed a thin finger at the screen. "Here we are – this map uses thermal imprints from people aboard the station to show us where they're located. See those two orange blips, there? That's you and me. The other dots represent other people here." The Doctor grinned goofily at Rose as she studied the screen.

But Rose wasn't smiling. "How come the other dots aren't moving?"

"Well, they're probably just stood still, like us. I suppose that would explain why we haven't passed them yet." Although his eagerness remained, the Doctor's smile dropped slightly when he saw that Rose wasn't as impressed as he thought she would be.

"If this works on body temperature, is that why our dots and the stationary ones are orange?"

"Yep!" The Doctor answered cheerily, pleased that his companion was taking an interest.

"Then what are those blue dots?"

Returning to the screen, the Doctor instantly noticed three blue dots, just as Rose said, moving steadily down the corridor towards them. The two travellers glanced at each other, concern apparent in their eyes. A moment later, the sound of footsteps clanging emptily on the metal floor began approaching them from just around the corner.

Hastily folding his glasses and tucking them away, the Doctor turned towards the advancing life forms. He stepped in front of his companion to protect her if the cold-blooded creatures turned out to be hostile, like a shield of sorts. They didn't have to wait long before the owners of the footsteps were revealed.

From around the corner marched a small group of reptilian-like creatures. They had blue, slimy, scaly skin that made Rose shiver just by looking at them. They didn't appear to have any eyes or ears or noses, instead only a mouth-shaped crack that ran horizontally right across the middle of their faces. The back of their heads were adorned with five short tentacles that ended in curved horns, almost like an incredibly odd hairstyle. Their limbs and body structure was similar to that of humans, and they walked in the same fashion too. In terms of clothes, they wore a shiny silver wetsuit-type outfit, but no shoes. One other feature stood out, especially for the Doctor – they were armed.

"'Ello!" The Doctor's first instinct was to try talking to the creatures. "Now, I really hope you haven't come to fight, because we have no weapons, and quite frankly it wouldn't be very nice, would it? We're not part of the crew, we're just travellers, and we mean you no harm. So, how about you tell us what you're doing here, and we'll just have a nice, civilised chat, with no nasty guns or threats, eh? How about that?"

At this point, the creatures had stopped walking, and were stood about a metre away from the Doctor and Rose. They showed no signs of violence, but they also didn't put away their guns. Instead of making any effort to communicate, the creatures stood opposite the new people silently.

The Doctor continued his attempt at conversation. "Okay, so you're not the chatty type. That's alright! That's absolutely fine, we can just stand here and stare at each other if you want. Won't exactly get us anywhere, but it's a start. You know what? While you're stood there doing nothing, I'm just going to reach into my pocket, and-"

As soon as the Doctor moved his hand inside his jacket, the creatures tensed their fingers on the gun triggers. Rose spotted this first, and warned her friend. "Doctor…"

"Don't worry, this isn't a weapon. I promised we're not going to hurt you, remember? This is just a little device that will decide whether or not our species are friend-compatible." The creatures seemed to trust the Doctor, clearly judging his words by the tone of his voice, as they allowed him to get his device. "I'm really glad they didn't understand that…" He muttered under his breath as he brought out his sonic screwdriver.

Directing it towards the creatures, the Doctor pressed the button and moved the screwdriver up and down as it analysed their DNA and identified its species. Bringing the device close to his face, the Doctor read the data and discovered what the creatures were.

"Get ready, Rose." The Doctor whispered to his companion, then raised his voice to address the creatures. "Sorry, but I don't really think we're going to get along."

Whirling around at the speed of light, the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand urgently. "Run!"

Rose didn't have to think twice. Feet slapping against the metal floor, the two friends sprinted down the corridor as if their lives depended on it (which they most certainly did), away from the newly advancing creatures. Calculating distance and location from his mental map, the Doctor guided Rose through the space station and back to the TARDIS, striving for safety.

"What are they?" Rose yelled as they ran.

"Kantrofarri!" The Doctor shouted back bluntly.

"What?" Rose was even more confused than when she didn't know the name of the creatures.

"Kantro- It doesn't matter! I'll explain when we get back to the TARDIS!"

Twisting and weaving through the seemingly infinite corridors, the pair blundered through their desperate escape. Although it was probably hindering their speed and running capability, they refused to let go of each other's hands in a representation of how they were in this together. The Kantrofarri creatures were surprisingly apt at keeping up with them, remaining only a few metres behind through the duration of the chase. However, it wasn't enough for them to completely catch up.

Just when it seemed that Rose and the Doctor were completely lost, they rounded a corner and spotted the TARDIS tucked away in an alcove. The wonderfully familiar machine stood tall and proud before them, welcoming them back.

"Oh, there she is! Isn't she beautiful?" The Doctor beamed, patting the wooden box lovingly as he extricated the Yale key from inside his jacket. As he fiddled with inserting it into the lock, the Kantrofarri came back into sight, rapidly approaching them with guns trained steadily on them.

"Doctor!" Rose urged, her gaze anxiously flicking between the creatures and the Doctor attempting to open the TARDIS door.

"I know, I know, I'm just-" The Kantrofarri began firing their guns the second the Doctor finally opened the door. "There we go!"

Ducking frantically, Rose leapt into the TARDIS a moment before the Doctor did, since he naturally gestured for her to enter first. Slamming the door shut, the Doctor didn't spare any time as he immediately strode over to the console. Returning the TARDIS key to his pocket, he removed his sonic screwdriver in the same fluid movement and buzzed the monitor with it, causing the screen to instantly fill with information on the creatures that had been chasing them.

"Blimey, that was close!" Rose breathed, laughing nervously but clearly extremely relieved that they escaped unharmed. "What did you say those things were?"

"Kantrofarri – well, not the _actual_ Kantrofarri. They were some sort of relatives, further along the evolutionary chart than the ones I'm familiar with. In more common terms, they're known as dream crabs. Dream crabs are predatory creatures that feed off humanoid brain manner by placing people in a telepathically induced dream state while they drill into the skull and liquefy the contents for consumption." The Doctor explained while he scrutinised the console screen displaying further information on the creatures.

"So, not very friendly, then." Rose commented accurately, stepping around the console so she could watch the monitor alongside her friend.

"There's a few things I don't get about the ones we just met. From what I knew, Kantrofarri were just crab-sized, small enough to ambush their victims from above and attach onto their faces while they consumed the brains through the temple. They didn't have full bodies like those ones. The dream crabs were also deaf and blind, and located their prey via telepathy, but those ones seemed to be capable of more advanced sensory activity since they could follow us consistently. And there's the issue of the guns – why would they need them? There's no need for Kantrofarri to use weapons, their biological functions were incredibly efficient at luring in and feeding off their victims. And if they shot to kill, their victims' brains would die quickly, but they prefer to feed off active brains. None of this makes any sense…" The Doctor speculated aloud, dragging a hand through his already tousled hair in a gesture of intense frustration due to lack of understanding.

"Maybe the guns weren't weapons. Maybe they were tranquilliser guns or something." Rose pointed out, but the Doctor didn't seem to pay attention, since he was too involved in his own mental process to consider outside influence.

"Unless… Unless – aha! That's it! God, I can be so stupid sometimes!" Slapping himself on the forehead, the Doctor's eyes glinted as he came to a sudden realisation. "Before, the dream crabs used to have to get close to the prey to attach onto their faces and feed, but if they could somehow shoot them down, stun them, then they wouldn't have to. Rose! Rose, what did you just say? About seven seconds ago?"

Rose blinked, surprised that the Doctor was interested in her input. Of course, she knew he liked hearing what she had to say, but she also didn't consider herself very bright, therefore she didn't believe her contributions to figuring out creatures were all that useful. "The, er, the guns! They could have been tranquilliser guns or something, not weapons."

"Yes! Rose, you're a star! Yes, the guns probably contain a substance, a telepathic substance that latches onto the brain cells and induces the dream state rather than the physical form of the creature having to do the same thing. That's clever, very clever. Then, as long as the Kantrofarri track the people they've shot, they can feed off their brains once the victims have essentially been sedated. They probably wouldn't even know they'd been shot…"

As the Doctor trailed off ominously, Rose swayed to one side a little. An overwhelming wave of light-headedness had just washed over her, causing her to feel disoriented. She placed one of her hands on the console for support, and raised the other to her head. "I... Ooh, that's weird."

"Rose? What's wrong, are you okay?" Alarm bells rang out in the Doctor's mind as he noticed Rose's strange turn. Eyebrows pulled low over his intense gaze in concern, he caught her elbow with his hand.

"I'm just not feeling too well, that's all." The second she finished speaking, Rose lurched to one side, her feet shifting clumsily in order to rebalance her unstable body. The Doctor caught her while she stumbled, firmly holding both of her shoulders in his protective grasp. However, as his hand brushed her left shoulder, he felt a small object jutting out of her skin. Frowning, the Doctor pulled it out gently and brought it close up to his face to examine it. He soon realised what it was: a tranquilliser dart.

Eyes widening in fear, the Doctor's voice took on a frantic tone as he spoke to his friend. "Rose, you have to listen to me. The Kantrofarri must have shot you just before we got into the TARDIS. You're not feeling well because the tranquilliser is setting in. It's just reaching your brain, placing you into a dream state."

"Doctor-" Rose's voice was quieter now, her tone drowsy as her eyelids began to droop.

"Remember, the dream state is nothing to worry about – the Kantrofarri only use it as a distraction while they feed, but we're in the TARDIS and they can't get in, so you're completely safe. Can you hear me, Rose? You're safe, I promise. The sedative will wear off in a couple of hours, and I'll protect you until then. I shouldn't have let this happen, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, but they can't hurt you. You're absolutely fine, and you'll be back to normal in no time." The Doctor was relentless in his attempt to comfort his dear friend, since he knew she must be scared.

Instead of showing any sign of fear, however, Rose was rather relaxed. Oddly enough, her eyes were focusing on a particular area of the Doctor's right forearm. "Doctor, whassat?" Her words slurred as brain activity became impaired and slowed down.

Glancing down at where Rose's gaze was directed, the Doctor instantly noticed something sticking out of his arm. As he reached to pluck it out, he realised what it was. "Oh no…" Another tranquilliser dart, identical to Rose's, had pierced his skin.

As if on cue, the Doctor's vision began to blur and his mind clouded as the effects set in. His grip on his friend loosened and Rose thudded to the floor as she finally slipped out of consciousness. Staggering towards her, the Doctor fell to his knees in an undignified manner. He collapsed next to Rose, reaching out a hand to cradle her face.

"Rose…" This was the final word that he forced from his lips before he joined her in the land of the unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

Eyelids fluttering open, Rose Tyler finally woke up. It naturally took a few seconds for her eyes to focus properly, and for her sense of disorientation to dissipate. When this happened, she cast her gaze contentedly over her surroundings: the bed in which she laid was soft and comfortable with its plumped-up pillow and candyfloss-coloured duvet; her wardrobe was full of her favourite outfits and the dressing table was littered with various make-up items; the early sunrays crept through the gaps in her curtains and highlighted sections of the room in an inspirational manner. A dreamy smile upon her lips, Rose rolled over and checked the clock on her bedside cabinet. 7:30am.

Instead of groaning at the considerably early hour, Rose's smile extended. Although she was headed to work that morning, she had recently been promoted to assistant manager of the shop she worked in. Things were finally looking up for Rose – she was living in a cosy little cottage in the countryside that wasn't too far away from the town in which her job was situated, a job that was improving every day. She was working her way up in the world, slowly but surely.

With this thought in mind, Rose threw back the covers and all but leapt out of bed. Before getting changed, she brushed her teeth and hastily splashed water over her face in order to refresh and prepare herself for the day ahead. Rose then selected a neat, pastel-blue blouse along with a pair of freshly ironed black trousers, straightening them neatly once she'd got dressed into them. It was certainly a decent outfit, appropriate for working professionally in. It was then around 8:00am, therefore Rose hurried downstairs and fixed up some breakfast (a slice of buttered toast and a glass of orange juice), before grabbing a jacket and heading out of the door.

One handy feature of living where Rose did is that there was a bus stop only a five-minute walk down the road from her cottage that drove into town. Not having a car, the bus was Rose's chosen form of transport she used to get to work. It wasn't long before it arrived, and she settled into her usual seat, next to the window about halfway down the bus. After ten minutes or so, an elderly lady got on at one of the stops closer to town and decided to plonk herself next to Rose.

"Hello, love. You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" The old lady asked, her voice wobbling slightly due to her aged vocal chords.

"'Course not." Rose smiled courteously.

"It's nice to see polite young people about these days. What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Rose."

The old lady's eyes crinkled with happiness. "Beautiful name, that. It's my favourite flower as well. Rose… Yes, it really does suit you."

"Thanks." Rose grinned, her heart going out to the lady. "What's yours?"

"My name? Edna – it's nothing special, I know."

"Edna's a great name!" Rose protested, not wanting the lady to feel humble after treating her so kindly. "Besides, what's in a name? Names don't mean anything, really."

"Oh, everything's in a name, darling." Edna muttered, her sincere tone sounding rather sinister.

Fortunately, before Rose could think anything more of it, Edna's smile returned. "Well, looks like this is my stop. Goodbye, Rose." As the bus juddered to a halt, the old lady gradually got to her feet and plodded down the aisle.

"Yeah, see you later." Rose replied distractedly, too quiet for Edna to hear. She considered what exactly the old lady meant about names, it seemed a bit of an odd thing to say. Shaking her head, Rose told herself it probably didn't mean anything, and that it was nothing to be concerned about. Right now, she needed to focus on her day, and going to work.

The moment Rose entered the shop, any remaining worry about Edna departed her mind as she set to work on serving customers, ensuring products were well displayed, and generally overlooking the shop to make sure it was running smoothly. In her lunch break at 12:30pm, Rose met up with a couple of friends in town (Shareen and Mickey), but the rest of her seven-hour shift was spent within the shop. Time passed at a fairly regular pace; it didn't fly past too quickly, nor did it drag painfully on. All in all, the day was rather enjoyable.

Rose arrived back at her cottage at 4:30pm, immediately after finishing her shift and getting the bus back. To emphasise her relaxation, she got changed into a comfy jumper and some tracksuit bottoms, and proceeded to pad around her house in some fluffy slippers. For dinner, Rose fished out a curry that she'd made the previous day from the freezer, and microwaved it. After eating, she hurriedly washed up her plate and cutlery, and then had a nice, hot shower to signal the end of her productive activities for the day. To emphasise her relaxation, she got changed into a comfy jumper and some tracksuit bottoms, and proceeded to pad downstairs in some fluffy slippers. Finally, Rose concocted a creamy hot chocolate to settle down in her living room with.

Curling up on the sofa, the young woman switched on the telly and cradled her drinks mug. There was an hour or so to spare before _Eastenders_ came on, so Rose decided to phone her mother for a chat.

"Hi, Mum." She greeted as the ringing stopped and her mother picked up.

"Rose! Oh, how lovely to hear from you! How is everything? Ooh, what about your job promotion? Is that going well?" Jackie Tyler instantly bombarded her daughter with interrogative questions, which was typical of her.

"Mum, slow down!" Rose laughed. "Everything's fine – my job's going great, thanks. How about you? And Dad? I heard that he was on the verge of a breakthrough with his latest invention."

Rose could hear her mum smiling on the other end of the line. "Well, you could say that, but it's definitely a work in progress. You know what your father's like – gets an idea, then doesn't bother to make it happen. He's working on it though. Tell you what, he's been invited up to Scotland to represent his company at this big fancy corporate meeting in a couple of weeks' time. Haven't you, Pete?" Jackie addressed her husband, from who came a muffled reply of confirmation.

"Wow, that's brilliant! Just think, my dad, up there with the big businesses." Rose enthused.

"Yeah, we're going to make a week of it – Pete's booking a nice hotel for five nights so we can do some sightseeing up there as well."

"That sounds really great, Mum. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time." Rose was overjoyed that her parents were striving for success and making their way up in the world – she figured she'd inherited their genes for that personality aspect. However, before Rose could add to her congratulations, she got distracted by a strange noise originating from outside her home. It was a mechanical sort of coughing, highlighted by intermittent spluttering. Frowning, she rose from her seat and slowly stepped into her kitchen, since it was the room at the front of her cottage, facing the road.

Jackie continued talking on the phone. "Thank you, sweetheart. Anyway, what else have you been up to? Apart from work, obviously. Didn't you say you were meeting up with a few friends? That'd be nice. I know you're not too far away from us, but I'm sure it's still lonely sometimes. It'll do you good to meet new people, make new friends, maybe even go on a few dates! Okay, I know you always get embarrassed when I mention boys, but your father and I just want you to meet someone nice, that's all. Mind you, a lot of couples meet by accident. That's probably the best way. Sorry, I'm babbling again, aren't I? Rose? Rose, are you there?"

"Uh, yeah…" Rose replied absently. Whilst her mother was speaking, she had been peeping out of the blinds in her kitchen window, surveying the scenario in front of her. The odd noises from before turned out to be coming from a car – a small, blue Mini Cooper – that appeared to be in some trouble. Due to the descending darkness, Rose couldn't see who was inside the vehicle, although she could detect some stifled shouting from them.

Curiosity naturally getting the better of her, Rose decided to head out. "Sorry, Mum, but I've got to go."

"Rose, what-" Jackie began, but it was too late. Her daughter had already hung up and placed the phone on the kitchen counter. Kicking off her slippers, Rose shoved her feet into a pair of boots and hastily dragged on a coat in preparation to exit the house. She picked up her keys just before stepping outside.

Once she was closer to the car, Rose could distinguish the person inside as a man with a truly impressive head of hair, but nothing else about him became clear until she was stood right next to the window.

The man remained oblivious to Rose's presence while he verbally raged about the current state of his car to himself. "Ahhh! Come on! Please, Travis, I'm begging you. You can't give up now – we've come this far. Bessie wouldn't have let me down like this! I can't believe-"

At this point, Rose knocked politely on his window. "Hi." She waved, grinning.

Groaning in humiliation, the man wound down the window so he could speak to Rose without any barriers getting between them. Judging by his appearance, he was rather young, likely in his mid-30s. He had excitable brown eyes that complemented his mass of brunette hair, and his cheeks were dusted with freckles. A brown, pinstripe suit adorned his lanky frame, along with a light blue shirt and an eccentrically patterned tie. "You heard all that, didn't you?" He winced.

"Yeeeaaah…" Rose replied, giggling at how mortified the man looked.

"Just my luck." The man sighed in frustration, still slightly humbled. "First my car breaks down, then a lovely young woman catches me talking to myself like a madman."

"Your car… That would be Travis, right?" Rose teased.

Scratching the back of his head in a nervous gesture, the man explained in an amusingly defensive manner. "So, I named my car Travis. I'm sure loads of other people name their cars, probably stranger names than Travis, too. I mean, it's not _that_ weird, is it? Is it?"

Rose raised an eyebrow. "What about Bessie?"

"Don't miss a trick, do you? She was my old car, I had to sell her when I moved to London." The man caught himself before he nattered on for too long. "Anyway, I'm sure you've heard enough about my peculiar car-naming history. I'm guessing that's your house I just broke down in front of?"

"Yep. I don't know how you knew." After seeing how flustered the man felt, Rose couldn't resist poking fun at him further with her sarcasm.

"Oh, I'm known for my perceptive eye." He bantered in return, almost startling Rose with his stunning grin. "Something I can't know by seeing, though, is your name." He prompted, his grin reducing to a cheeky smile.

Rose laughed, probably at how blatantly smooth he was being. "Rose. My name's Rose."

"Nice to meet you, Rose." There came the blinding grin again. "Well, I suppose I should try and get this thing working again." He opened his arms, gesturing towards his car.

Rose thought for a moment. "Why don't you come in? It'll be completely dark soon, and it's cold out here – you might as well come in and have a cuppa while we're waiting for breakdown services to arrive."

"Breakdown services?" The man frowned.

"What, you seriously think you can fix your own car in the dark?" Rose made a valid point.

"Maybe." He looked hurt. "Well, not in the dark. I mean, I could have a go if it was light. I'd probably have to buy some things from a garage, and possibly inquire about it, but I could do it."

Chuckling at the man's attempt to act knowledgeable, Rose told it as it was. "In other words, it's not gonna happen."

Opening the car door, the man finally stepped out. Whether this was because the discomfort of speaking through a car window had eventually overwhelmed him, because he'd made the decision to enter her house, or simply because he needed to stretch his legs, Rose didn't know. In fact, she supposed it was a mixture of all three. It wasn't until his limbs were stretched out to their full length when she realised how tall he was. Now, when he spoke, Rose had to angle her chin upwards for her gaze to meet his.

"How about this," He began. "I won't bother calling breakdown services, but I will wait until the morning. Then, I'll try fix the car, and if I can't, _then_ I'll call for help. That alright?" He smiled.

"Fine by me." Rose returned his content expression. "Come in, I think it's about time we had that cuppa."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

 **I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed this fic so far – I honestly didn't expect this much feedback, especially with so many lovely, positive comments! I really appreciate them, and I hope you all continue to enjoy my story :)**

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Once the two of them entered the cottage, Rose offered the man a seat at her kitchen table while she collected her now-cold hot chocolate mug and disposed of it in the sink. She then set about making tea for both of them, by placing teabags into two new cups as the kettle boiled. Meanwhile, the man perched contentedly on his chair and glanced around the room, smiling. He appeared to be at peace, though Rose couldn't fathom why; his car had just broken down at night, after all. This thought caused a question to surface in Rose's mind, which she immediately verbalised.

"Where will you stay tonight? No offense, but I don't really want a stranger staying in my house overnight."

Swivelling around in his seat, the man's smile dropped and his gaze accessed a new level of intensity as he stared deeply into Rose's eyes. "Is that who I am? A stranger?"

Rose shifted with only a hint of discomfort under his gaze. "Well, by definition, yes. I don't exactly know you – we've only just met! You haven't even told me your name yet."

"Oh!" The man's sincerity instantly disappeared. "I haven't, have I? How rude of me. Is that who I am – rude? Do you think I'm rude, Rose?"

"Of course not!" Rose was vaguely confused as to why she leapt to the man's defence so quickly, but she didn't think too much of it. "What is your name, then?" She prompted when he showed no sign of replying.

"Ah, yes! Sorry, I'm really not good at this, am I? My name's John. John Smith." He beamed up at Rose, who was now pouring out the boiled water into the mugs.

"Sugar?" She asked.

"Hm?"

"Do you take sugar? And milk?"

"Oh, yes! All the trimmings for me, thanks. Though I suppose they're not really trimmings, since it's not exactly a Christmas dinner. Anyway, yeah! Three sugars, and milk." John babbled, clearly feeling slightly nervous, though he wasn't sure why. He never got nervous around people. Then again, he had just met Rose, so he supposed she was different, maybe.

Ignoring his continual speech, Rose addressed the actual answer to her question. "Three sugars? Isn't that a bit unhealthy?"

"Nahh. If it tastes good and makes you feel happy, then go for it, that's what I say." John winked cheekily, although his message was certainly an important one.

"Oh, I'd love to see you tell my mum that." Rose smiled and spoke half to John, half to herself, while she topped up the teas with milk and sugar.

"Why, what would your mum say?" John asked out of innate curiosity. Picking up the tea mug, his gaze flicked down as he sipped at the liquid.

Cradling her own drink, Rose settled down into the chair opposite John. "She'd say that's a load of rubbish. Well, not exactly – of course she wants to eat chocolate and ice cream and all that stuff she likes. But my mum really tries to keep healthy and in shape, she's into those silly fad diets and what have you. I don't think they do much, but they make her happy. I suppose that's what matters, in the end."

"Oh, absolutely!" John enthused. "She sounds great, does your mum. Have you got any other family, then?"

Rose took a sip of tea before answering. "There's my mum and my dad, who live nearer central London – they need to, since my dad runs a tech company. He comes up with all sorts of inventions, in fact he's going to this big corporate meeting up in Scotland soon. My mum was actually just telling me about it on the phone when you arrived."

"That's brilliant! What does your mum do for a living?"

"She works side by side with my dad most of the time. He's good with the inventing and technical side of his work, but he hasn't got a clue with paperwork or social relations. That's where my mum helps – she fills the gaps in his knowledge." Rose's eyes twinkled; it was obvious she loved her parents dearly, and enjoyed speaking of their success.

"Sounds like they make a great team." John smiled. "What about siblings?"

"Don't have any. Then again, Mickey is sort of like a brother to me. He's a friend of mine, has been since childhood. He even moved to the countryside with me, but he's living in the town centre with a couple of flatmates. My mum always says we should date, but…" Rose glanced down, biting her lip.

"But you just see him as a friend." John finished, studying her expression carefully.

"Yeah. It's funny, we used to say we were boyfriend and girlfriend back in primary school. I really do like Mickey. I suppose I'm waiting for someone else." Her gaze met John's. They maintained eye contact for a few silent moments before Rose changed the subject. "Anyway, enough about me – what about you? Have you got any family?"

"My parents passed away a few years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Rose replied sympathetically.

"Ehh, you don't have to apologise. It's not like it was your fault, you didn't know them." John spoke matter-of-factly, although it was evident, judging by the look in his eyes, that he missed and still grieved for his parents. However, he soon snapped back into his cheery persona. "Got a brother, though. Mind you, I've no idea where he is."

"Long-lost brother?" Rose inquired.

"No, I do know him. The 'lost' part is debatable though, in both physical and figurative terms. After our mother died eleven years ago, things got quite difficult in our house. Our father didn't take it well, and his state of mourning didn't exactly help the family stick together. We grew apart, drifted. My brother wasn't the same, he struggled to cope. So he left. One day, he just up and went, moving someplace far, far away from home. I assume he's still there, he hasn't contacted me since. When our father died four years ago, he didn't even turn up to the funeral. I often wonder about my brother – how can I not? I'm the eldest of us, it's always been my duty to look out for him and care for him. I can't help but feel as if I've let him down." John's expression was incredibly pained as he recounted his family history, particularly when he spoke about his brother. A regretful tinge tainted his gaze, and this sadness was reflected in Rose's eyes.

"It's not your fault." Rose reassured him, reaching over the kitchen table to place a hand over his. "No one can predict how people will react to loss. And it was your brother's choice to leave, you probably couldn't have stopped him. Don't be so hard on yourself, eh?"

Smiling appreciatively, John placed his other hand on top of Rose's and squeezed it. "Thank you, Rose. You really are fantastic."

Returning John's smile, Rose was only too happy to leave her hand where it was. Yet again, the two of them spent a few moments with their gazes locked together. It was clear they very much enjoyed each other's company. Eventually, Rose reluctantly pulled her hand away so she could pick up her mug and have a drink. John did the same.

"So," Rose began. "Have you got a job?" She was eager to know as much as possible about the man she had chanced upon.

"Not at the moment." John admitted. "I tend to pick up work in various places while I'm visiting different towns and cities. It's unpredictable, but that's what I like about it."

"Are you, like, on a road trip or something then?"

"I'm just travelling. I love the feeling of it – being free, floating about, not getting involved in anything, just dipping in and out of all these brilliant cultures and experiences… It's the trip of a lifetime, and the best part is that it never ends unless I want it to." John's voice adopted a dreamy tone while he described his lifestyle. Although he was still seated in Rose's kitchen, he seemed so distant from reality. His mind was clearly in a different place, a different world altogether, yet his narration paved a road down which Rose was journeying with him. She felt his every word as if it was something she herself had lived through. Whether it was John's storytelling skills, or Rose's imagination, a combination of the two, or neither of them, Rose felt connected to John in a way she'd never known before.

Taken aback, and a little worried about the way she felt, Rose mentally shook herself out of her reverie. Despite the element of wistfulness to her tone, her reply was still conversational and natural. "I wish I could live like that."

"Why don't you?" John asked, genuinely not understanding how Rose could possibly be unable to live the way he does.

Rose thought for a moment. "Well, there's money, for starters – I don't have enough of it to travel. I've got a job, too, that I can't just leave…"

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask! Where do you work?"

"A department store in town. I just got promoted to assistant manager." Rose spoke humbly, though there was an undeniable glint of pride in her eyes.

"Brilliant!" John exclaimed, grinning.

"Anyway, I couldn't resign from a job I just got. Then there's other commitments, like my family and friends, and looking after this house. Once you've got into a routine, it's difficult to get out of." Rose pointed out.

"What is it with us humans and our routines, eh? We do the same things, day in, day out, never questioning it, never even considering any other way of living. It's healthy to break routine every now and then. You never know, you might end up like me, and renounce routines forever. If you want to travel, if you really want to go out there and see amazing things, then do it! Nothing's stopping you, not really. Nothing _can_ stop you. The world is your oyster, Rose."

For a moment, Rose believed him. Something she was quickly learning about John was that it's easy to get caught up in what he's saying and forget reality. His inspiration was overwhelming. But as soon as Rose glanced at her mug containing tea that would soon be going cold, she was brought back down to Earth. "No… No, I couldn't. One day, maybe. But now isn't the right time, I think. What about you? What made you decide to travel? Why do you do it?"

"Why?" John laughed. The answer was an absolute no-brainer for him. "I love it! And now that I'm living this way, I can't imagine anything else."

"Doesn't that scare you?" Rose asked excitably. "Not having a routine, not even knowing what the next day will bring?"

"Oh yes. That's the best part!" John grinned, almost manically.

"You're mad!" Rose giggled.

"Yeah, I think perhaps I am. But I'd rather be mad than boring, any day."

John's last words actually made a lot of sense to Rose. She couldn't deny feeling inspired and motivated after listening to him talk, although she still couldn't shake off her ingrained concept of realism. Therefore, she asked John something that concerned her slightly.

"Do you have a home, John?"

Now it was John's turn to think. "Home… I'm not even sure what that means to me anymore. I did have a home, a long time ago. But not for a while, now. If by 'home', you mean a house, then no – I sold my house to travel a few years back. Do you know, I hadn't really thought about it."

"So you don't have a house? Where do you sleep then?" Rose was shocked.

"In the car. It's great, just me and good old Travis!" John added when he saw how alarmed Rose looked.

However, she still wasn't convinced. "It must be uncomfortable. Not having a proper bed and all."

"Plenty of people have to cope with less." John made a valid point. "Besides, I've grown quite used to it."

"Are you sure you'll be alright sleeping in your car tonight? 'Cause, like I said before, I'm not really sure about you staying in my house overnight, if that's okay."

"Of course it's okay! I understand where you're coming from, no worries." John smiled to reassure her. "You've been very hospitable this evening already, it'd be rude of me to ask for more."

Despite John's gratitude, Rose still felt a little guilty. "Tell you what, I'll bring down some spare blankets and pillows for you. I know you said you're used to it, but I still want you to be comfy."

"You don't have to-"

"No, I insist." Rose smiled, though she spoke firmly so that John couldn't refuse. She stood up from the table, and noticed they'd both finished their cups of tea, therefore she picked up the mugs and deposited them in the sink. Then, she began to head upstairs to search for items to make the car more comfortable.

While Rose collected pillows and blankets, John washed the mugs (including Rose's hot chocolate mug from earlier) and dried them with a tea-towel. Rose thanked him when she returned downstairs, although her voice was muffled by the extensive amount of blankets, duvets, and pillows she was carrying, piled up in front of her.

"Here, let me get them." John picked up the load and removed it from Rose, placing it on the landing floor. "Thank you so much for all this. You're a star."

Smiling at his compliment, Rose grabbed the house keys off the kitchen counter and inserted them into the front door. She checked the time as she did so. "It's still only half past eight – do you want to stay in for a bit?"

"Only if it's okay with you."

So, John stayed in Rose's cottage for another couple of hours. They chatted about anything and everything, and watched some telly in-between until they got tired and John went out to sleep in the car. The more they talked and spent time together, the more they both enjoyed each other's company. There was no doubt that Rose and John were connected, and this connection was only ever going to grow.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm so sorry it's been such a long time since I last updated this, I've just been busy and lacking in motivation. But I'm back now, and hopefully I should be updating more regularly. I'd also like to give a big thank you to whovianhalfblood, who beta-read this chapter, and has been very kind to me. Hope you enjoy!**

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Vibrant oranges and pinks were streaked artistically across the sky as John gradually awoke from his fitful slumber. In the few moments after his eyelids flickered open, his mind was a blank canvas until the memories from the previous day splashed it with colour. A sleepy grin spread across John's face as he pictured Rose, the beautiful young woman who had shown him such kindness when his car had broken down. The faint scent of her perfume clung to the duvet which he was still snuggled up to, and he was yet again reminded of her hospitality. Thanks to the added comfort in his car provided by her, John had had the best night's sleep in a long time.

John used his hands to push himself into a sitting position, a gigantic yawn enveloping his facial features. At that very moment, a familiar pink and yellow figure, blurred by the condensation on the car windows, could be seen approaching the vehicle. Rose tapped on the window cheerily when she got close enough, and John was only too happy to greet her. He opened the car door this time instead of just the window so that communicating was a little easier.

"Morning, sleepyhead!" She smiled playfully, and John noticed she was clutching a mug.

"First you catch me talking to my car, now you see me pull a hideous yawn! It's honestly a wonder you haven't sent me packing yet – not that I'd have much to pack, mind…"

"You get more attractive by the minute." Rose's teasing tone hid the honesty behind her words.

John became quite clearly flustered at this. "Aha, I'm sure that's not true. I mean, look at this hair!" He pointed emphatically at the brunette bird's nest currently perched on his head, which was all the more a mess due to him having just woken up.

"That is some fairly impressive bed hair!" Rose giggled at the comic sight of John's embarrassed facial expression and eccentric hairstyle, but also to conceal any hint of sincerity in her comment about his looks.

John yielded to the same face-splitting grin she'd witnessed a few times the previous day. It was undeniably contagious; Rose had to bite her lip to prevent her smile from widening. Changing the subject, she extended the hand holding the mug out to John. "Anyway, here you go – I made you a cuppa tea. I thought it'd wake you up a bit."

"Oh, you are brilliant!" John's beaming face showed no sign of fading.

"Three sugars and milk, just how you like it." Rose added, studying John's face as he peered into the cup.

"You really are far too kind, Rose." He spoke softly, his brown eyes fixating on her in a way that caused her heart to flutter erratically. "I must pay you back somehow… I know! Have you had breakfast yet?"

"Er, no. I was just going to get it actually." Rose replied.

"Right then! I'll make breakfast for us – how do banana pancakes sound? You do have bananas, don't you?" John's expression became suddenly sincere, as if the question of having a certain fruit in stock was a matter of life or death.

"I should do, yeah. But wait, you don't have to make breakfast for me! Honestly, I'm just happy to help you."

"I know, and you've been fantastic, but it's only common decency for me to return the favour. Besides, bananas are good for you, and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Don't worry about it, Rose. You just go put your feet up, and food will be served in no time."

This revealed itself to be his famous last words.

Fifteen minutes later, John was desperately wafting a tea towel at the deafening smoke alarm, while Rose attempted to scrape the burnt pancakes off the bottom of the frying pan.

"I thought you said you could make pancakes?!" Rose yelled above the cacophony.

Concentrating on stopping the alarm, John didn't turn around as he replied. "I said I _would_ make them, which isn't necessarily the same as saying I _could_ make them…" Uncertainty was apparent in his tone; it was obvious he knew his pedantic argument wouldn't stand.

"Well I _could_ let you stay in my house, but that doesn't necessarily mean I _would_." Rose retaliated. There was a hint of playfulness in her voice, and not a trace of nastiness, yet she was serious enough that John's face fell.

"Oh… I'm sorry, Rose." The smoke alarm ceased its beeping at that moment, allowing John to soften his voice as he turned around to address Rose. His forehead creased and his eyes filled with remorse as he apologised. "I just felt bad because you've been so accommodating; I had to give you something in return."

Sighing, Rose smiled gently. John's puppy-dog eyes acted as a catalyst for her already-inevitable forgiveness. "It's fine, honestly. The frying pan was getting old anyway. And you don't owe me anything, John – your company is enough for me." A beautiful smile spread across her face.

John reciprocated Rose's feelings, his perfectly content expression a mirror of hers. "Are you sure, though? I could always try making another batch of pancakes, or some other food if you like…"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Rose commented amusedly, gesturing towards the lump of burnt pancake still stuck to the bottom of the pan. "I don't fancy my kitchen being set on fire, thanks."

They laughed together, a melody that echoed around the room and filled the house with joy. Although Rose loved her little cottage, she'd always felt a pang of loneliness when pottering about on her own; for the first time, it felt truly lived in and had a sense of home. It was as if John was her housemate and had been for a while. His presence was so comforting, Rose felt entirely at ease around him, as if they were already close friends. She knew she should be wary – he was still a stranger, after all – but her gut instinct was telling her there was no reason not to trust him. He was just so easy to get along with.

"Alright, fair enough – I'll avoid cooking from now on. I can make tea, though, if you think you can risk letting me." John suggested, cheekily poking his tongue between his teeth.

"Go on, then." Rose agreed. It would technically be John's second cup for the morning, though it didn't matter much to Rose, since his first cup had gone cold during the pancake burning fiasco. She dumped the frying pan in the sink and turned back to the counter to start making breakfast for the two of them. "What would you like to eat? I've got toast, cereal, eggs – I might have some bacon and beans, but not enough for a full English."

"Ooh, I'm spoiled for choice here!" John replied playfully. He appeared to be looking for something in the kitchen as he conversed with Rose, and frowned when his search proved fruitless. "Sorry, where are the cups and teabags?"

Opening a cupboard to John's left, Rose laughed as she grabbed two mugs and placed them in front of him on the counter. She then reached up to the shelf above and seized teabags and sugar. "There you go. Milk's in the fridge, and I'm sure you can fill a kettle without causing any trouble. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm having some toast," she prompted.

"Toast sounds good. Simple, but effective. I am fond of some nice toast, me. Lots of butter though, that's the trick. Jam's good, too. Otherwise it's just bland. Oh, hang on!" John exclaimed suddenly, making Rose jump. He'd been babbling while filling up the kettle. "Did you say you had eggs?"

"Er, yep." Rose confirmed. Her tone was a little distracted, as she was currently concentrating on popping four slices of bread in the toaster and getting butter out of the fridge.

"Could we have scrambled eggs on toast? Please? Like I said before, a good breakfast is vital for the day ahead." And there were John's puppy-dog eyes again.

Rose couldn't help but grin at him. "Of course, that's fine. You can whisk the eggs then, if you think you can handle it," she teased.

"Thanks!" John beamed, so happy to be helping with breakfast that he ignored Rose's mocking comment.

Fifteen minutes or so later, the two of them had finally prepared scrambled eggs on toast. Despite his previous failure, John was surprisingly skilled at seasoning the food – the eggs tasted wonderful thanks to added salt and pepper. He and Rose sat cradling their mugs of tea once they'd polished off their plates.

"That's the best breakfast I've had in ages. You did a great job." Rose spoke honestly, complimenting John in the process.

"Pfft, I barely did anything! I only did the eggs, and that doesn't take much talent." John brushed off Rose's words; however, it was obvious by the slight glow of his cheeks that he appreciated her kind words.

"Well it's certainly an improvement from the pancakes." Rose added, biting her lip as she smirked. She couldn't resist another dig at John; he was an easy target.

"Oh, I'll never hear the end of that, will I?" He groaned, but he was also smiling, albeit with embarrassment.

Giggling, Rose swept her gaze over her wrist, where her watch was. She did a double-take when she registered the time: 8:20am. "Oh my God," she took a sharp intake of breath, immediately rising from her seat and hastily clearing the plates away.

"What is it? What's wrong?" John asked, eyebrows low in concern.

"I was meant to set off for work twenty minutes ago, I'm gonna be late!" Ditching the plates and various cooking utensils in the sink, Rose dashed about in preparation to leave the house.

"This is my fault, I'm sorry." John apologised. He grabbed their half-empty mugs of tea and poured them down the plughole, wanting to be of help.

"No, no, don't worry about it. I should have kept an eye on the time." Rose shrugged on a jacket and picked up her house keys.

"I'd offer you a lift, but that's kind of impossible since my car still isn't fixed." John mentally kicked himself for saying something so stupid and useless the moment his words left his lips.

"It's fine. I should still be able to catch a bus…" Rose muttered, speaking to herself as much as John. As she processed his most recent words, it dawned on her that she didn't know what to do with him. He couldn't exactly stay in her house – no matter how well they seemed to be getting on. A tiny bit of paranoia was still nagging at the back of her mind, reminding her that John could be a thief who would steal anything valuable if she left him in her house alone. But then she felt bad because he was still stranded...

Seeming to read her mind, John addressed the exact dilemma she was thinking over. "I don't expect you to let me stay in your house, so I'll just stay parked outside while I figure out where to go next. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, of course! Oh wait, you'll need a toolbox. And food, in case you get hungry." Rose was getting in more of a daze the more she tried to sort things out.

"Toolbox? Oh! My car, yes, I was going to try fixing him – it. I almost forgot, silly me. I've got a few tools in the boot that should be enough to sort it. And never mind about food; that breakfast should last me a while yet." He flashed Rose a grin as he made his way towards the door. "You just get yourself off to work, don't worry about me," he reassured her, knowing he'd caused her enough bother already.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Rose asked as she slung a bag over her shoulder and headed out the door.

"Yeah! I'll be right as rain."

At this point, they had both stepped out of Rose's cottage. She locked the door then turned to John for a final farewell. "Alright then, I'm gonna head off to my bus stop. I just hope I can get there in time."

"'Course you will! Have a great day, Rose." John grinned, waving at her as she began to jog along the country path.

"Thanks, see you later!" Rose shouted, picking up her pace.

John watched as she eventually disappeared into the distance. He hoped she wasn't late; he really did feel guilty about holding her back. Opening up the boot of his car, John sifted through the objects until he found generic car-fixing tools (spanner, screwdriver, etc) then set to work on Travis.


	5. Chapter 5

With a spring in her step, Rose strolled out of the shop and started heading down the street to the bus stop in town. Despite her long, mentally-demanding shift, she was in an excellent mood. Work was never a chore for her anyway; being assistant manager was a job she had desired for a while now, and it was incredibly rewarding. Today had been particularly interesting, since although fewer customers visited, they had purchased larger orders so plenty of money was still rolling in. At lunchtime, Rose stayed on the premises and chatted with her colleagues. Gwyneth, a young girl whom she had befriended while working there, asked her why she wasn't going out to meet her mates this time. Rose had to think about it for a moment. She'd genuinely forgotten, what with being so preoccupied. Then again, she was sure Mickey wouldn't mind. He and Shareen got on fine without her.

Now, it was 3:57pm (the boss, Harriet, had let her get off early), and Rose was ready to go home. Truth be told, a certain messy-haired man had been at the forefront of her mind all day, and she couldn't wait to be greeted by his stunning grin. As she sat in her usual seat on the bus, Rose gazed dreamily out of the window, eyes unfocused as she allowed her mind to run away with her. She mentally replayed her conversation with John from the previous night, pausing every time he smiled or laughed. When he looked right at her with those emotive brown eyes, it felt like the rest of the world just melted away into insignificance. In those moments, she felt wonderful.

When the bus finally arrived at her stop, she practically leapt off it. Unable to resist letting the corners of her mouth turning upwards, Rose bit her lip to prevent her smile from growing. Although she was excited, she didn't want to appear too eager to see John. Keep it casual, that was the way to go about this. She didn't want to scare him off, after all, though Rose somehow didn't think that was quite possible. John certainly seemed just as enthusiastic to be around her, and he was rather an eccentric person himself. No, of course he wouldn't be scared off.

…Or could he?

As Rose rapidly approached her house, the smile dropped from her face. The familiar blue figure of John's car was no longer on the kerb, and there was no sign of its owner either. Rose frowned, her pace slowing as she realised she didn't have a reason to speed up anymore. Trudging over to where the car had been, Rose cast a glance over the immediate vicinity, desperately searching for something that simply wasn't there. Sighing gloomily, Rose accepted what had happened. John had gone.

Once the reality of the situation hit Rose, she felt hollow. No crippling sadness or even anger, just vague disbelief and emptiness. But hopeful. Despite the apparent irreversible nature of John's disappearance, a spark of hope remained deep inside of Rose, refusing to be extinguished. As a result of it, a sudden thought occurred to her. Maybe John had left a note? Surely he wouldn't just up-and-leave without telling her?

Walking over to her front door, Rose studied it for any traces of John that he might have left behind. She didn't know what she expected really; perhaps a folded piece of paper blu-tacked to the wood, just to let her know he'd decided to go his own way. No such luck. She thought, from how appreciative he'd been, that he might have given a reason for his disappearance. Then again, he was still a stranger at the end of the day. There was no need to feel so glum about losing him.

Before long, Rose had begun to wind down for the day by getting changed out of her work clothes and stepping in the shower. She was currently curled up on the sofa, half-heartedly munching a microwave curry and only half-watching a re-run episode of _Countdown_ that happened to be on TV at the time. She considered phoning her mum again – she still hadn't explained herself for abruptly hanging up on her the previous night – but she wasn't really in the mood for it. In fact, the only thing Rose currently felt like doing was moping about in her living room.

After half-eating her curry, she shuffled into the kitchen and rinsed out the container. As the sound of the running water echoed around her empty kitchen, Rose was struck by the loneliness which had returned to plague her once again. She'd always been happy with her quaint little cottage in the countryside, but after meeting someone whose presence had filled every corner, she knew she would never be satisfied with living here alone anymore.

Sighing again, Rose clicked on the kettle in preparation for making a cup of tea. She needed to indulge in small comforts. Popping a teabag in her favourite mug, Rose tapped out a tuneless rhythm as she waited for the kettle to boil. Before long, she was cradling her mug of nice hot tea as she snuggled back into the sofa. It was going to be a long night.

Almost as soon as Rose sat down, she heard a gentle yet firm knock on her door. Rolling her eyes as a reflex response, she wondered who on Earth it could be. It was almost 6pm, which she found out after a brief glance at the clock. It seemed a bit of an odd time for someone to visit. Besides, who would be visiting her? It wasn't like she had neighbours; her house was completely isolated in the countryside. Rose was also fairly sure the postman didn't come round at this time. There was no one left it could be. Well, there was one, but Rose nipped that thought in the bud before it made her too hopeful.

Reluctantly setting her tea down on the little table next to her, Rose rose from the sofa and made her way down the hallway to her front door. At times like this, she wished she had one of those eyepieces in her door that enabled her to see who was on the other side of it. Instead, she opened her door, slowly but surely, until a wonderfully familiar figure was revealed.

"John?" Rose's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. Due to her refusal to hope for his arrival, she was pleasantly surprised.

John nervously scratched the back of his head, his gaze flitting about and neglecting to meet Rose's. He was clearly flustered as he began to speak to her. "Rose, hi. Look, I, er, I know I should have told you where I was going before I went, but you were at work and I knew you wouldn't be back for a while and I couldn't just stay outside your house because it – well, it would just be a bit weird, and my car still wasn't fixed so I had to call breakdown services like you said, but I didn't have a phone so I had to go looking for a phone booth which took aaaaages, and-"

"Blimey, slow down!" Rose couldn't help chuckling. John was babbling at 100 miles per hour, leaving her utterly bewildered and unable to keep up. "Why don't you come in and start again?"

Exhaling a nervous laugh, John awkwardly stepped inside the house. He didn't think himself worthy to take a seat in Rose's living room this time – at least not until he'd explained himself properly – so he hung about in the hallway for now. Rose figured he wouldn't be staying for long, and was only too happy to remain leaning against the doorframe with her arms folded. She was aware she looked just like her mother when her father had come home late from work without telling her.

"Go on then, explain yourself. Start from the beginning." Fixing her gaze on John's face, Rose attempted to sound stern, but the delight of seeing him again betrayed her by seeping into her voice.

Composing himself, John took a breath and stared humbly at Rose through some unruly strands of hair that had fallen onto his forehead. "Right. I started trying to fix my car as soon as you'd left this morning, but it didn't exactly go to plan. Weeeell, that's probably an understatement. Weeeell, I might have kind of made it worse…"

"You told me you could fix it." Rose teased.

"Yeaahhh, I may have exaggerated a bit there. Anyway, I went to find a phone booth to give breakdown services a call, since my mobile was dead. I found one eventually, and the AA arrived. Took one look and knew it was knackered, so they towed it into the city for repair – gave me a lift, too, nice fellas. Turns out the problem wasn't as bad as it seemed, so it didn't take too long to fix. They told me to come back in a few hours, so I wandered about in town for a while."

"Did you do anything nice?" Rose inquired.

"Just explored the area really, though I did have a chat with some lovely local people while I was on my travels." John replied, still acting rather humble, but growing in confidence by the second. "I went back to the AA garage at about 4pm, and Travis – I mean, my car – was good as new! I then considered my next port of call. I didn't want to leave the city; I knew I couldn't just go without seeing you again, but I also didn't want to drive back to your cottage and expect to be invited back in again. So, I went looking for a hotel to stay in for a few nights."

"You didn't have to do that…" Rose started, but her tone said otherwise. It was evident she wanted him to stay for as long as possible, but she also knew it wasn't realistic for him to stay outside her house.

"It's no bother!" John insisted, clearly still feeling guilty. "I found a nice little B&B on a side street that had a single room free for the next few nights, so I booked that. By that time, it was 5:30, and I realised I hadn't left a note or anything for you. I would have phoned, but I never got your number either. It's no excuse, I know. I really am sorry, Rose," he gazed back at her with those giant brown eyes, just begging to be forgiven.

Rose considered his words for a moment. She knew she shouldn't be so trusting, especially after how he'd upset her today, but she also knew he didn't intend to hurt her. And who could say no to those eyes?

She sighed, unable to hold back a smile. "It's okay. I know you didn't mean to leave without saying anything, so don't worry about it. I'm grateful that you came back."

John's face split into a grin. "Thank you, Rose. I can't put into words how much I appreciate what you've done for me. You really are a star."

A faint pink glow spread over Rose's cheeks as she processed his flattering compliment. There was a slightly awkward silence as neither of them could think of what to say next.

"Soo…" John eventually spoke as a filler to break their lack of speech. Once they both realised how silly they were acting, Rose giggled and John smiled.

"Do you want to sit down? I'll make us a cuppa if you want?" Rose asked him, gesturing towards the sofa in the living room.

"Err, I might get off back to the hotel actually – if that's alright with you?" John added quickly, not wanting to seem eager to depart from Rose's company. In fact, he felt quite the opposite. He adored spending time with her; she seemed to exude a wonderful light that caused him to feel intense joy just by being around her. He only wanted to return to the hotel because he needed to sort out his suitcase.

"Yeah, that's fine!" Rose agreed, yet her smile dropped ever so slightly.

"Okay. I'll… see you around, then?" John half-asked.

"Sure."

Another silence.

"Right then." John strode over to the front door and opened it. However, instead of stepping outside and leaving straight away, he hesitated. He seemed to be having an internal conversation with himself, before finally resolving his predicament. "Actually, do you want to meet up? Tomorrow? For lunch?"

Rose was taken aback. "Oh! Um, I could do that. I mean, I'm not doing anything at lunch tomorrow," she mentally kicked herself for sounding so ridiculous. "I would like to meet up for lunch, thanks. That would be great. Where should we meet?"

John beamed. "Brilliant! Hmm, I saw a lovely coffee shop on a street called Wolf Road…?"

"Ah, I know where that is. It's not too far from where I work." Rose's smile returned, extending due to the coincidence.

"Fantastic!" John enthused. "So, I'll see you there at about half twelve?"

"Sounds good to me." Rose grinned, her tongue poking between her teeth.

"Alright then! See you tomorrow." John's excited expression mirrored Rose's as he stepped outside.

"Yep, see you tomorrow!" Rose waved cheerily at him before closing the door.

For the rest of the night, Rose was too distracted to watch telly or read any of her magazines. But this time, it wasn't because she was too upset; it was because she was looking forward to meeting John so much the next day. She missed him already.

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 **A/N: A big thank you again to whovianhalfblood for beta-reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

In the middle of a bustling London city, John was leaning uncomfortably against the corner of a building. Every few seconds, he'd alter the way in which he was stood. His arms would fold, then dangle by his sides, then find themselves shoved deep into his pockets; his legs would cross, uncross, rest against the building, stand straight again, and so on. He was completely on edge with nervous excitement, becoming more restless by the minute. John was awaiting Rose's arrival, as they'd arranged to meet outside that particular coffee shop at 12:30pm. He replayed yesterday's conversation in his mind and confirmed the details. He was sure he'd got it right. Yet, as he checked his watch for the umpteenth time since he'd been standing there, it clearly said it was 12:35pm, and Rose clearly wasn't beside him.

John's eyes darted back and forth, surveying the immediate area. Every time he caught a glimpse of blonde hair, his heart surged in hope, and every time he was let down when he saw it wasn't the lady he was looking for. It was while he was waiting for her that John realised how much he was looking forward to seeing Rose again. Her wide, brown eyes sparkled with life, and her smile lit up the rest of her face, making her all the more beautiful. And she was kind - her hospitality and compassion for him, a total stranger, were rare gifts that caused her to shine. He adored her.

This was why John was worried that she hadn't turned up yet. There were many logical potential reasons for Rose's tardiness; she'd been held back at work, she'd bumped into a friend on the way and had started chatting, she'd lost her way and couldn't find the coffee shop, the crowds were slowing her down. However, these explanations were pushed to the very back of John's mind, and the irrational ones naturally took over centre stage. Obviously, Rose had decided she didn't like him and wasn't coming, or she'd forgotten about him completely, or she was still bitter about him leaving yesterday and had realised how unreliable he was, or, or, or... When it really came down to it, John simply didn't think himself worthy of Rose. So of course he thought she wouldn't come - why would she?

Just as John was slipping into serious doubt with an ounce of self-loathing, he felt a small breeze caress the side of his face as someone next to him let out a sigh. Turning his head, he was greeted with the most beautiful beaming face.

"Hi!" Rose addressed him excitedly. Her expression dropped slightly as she saw how concerned John had been looking. "Sorry I'm late, there was this car accident that blocked one of the roads. I hope you weren't waiting too long?"

"No, not at all!" John hastily reassured her. It felt like forever when she wasn't with him, but there was no way he wanted her to feel guilty, so he determined not to mention it. "What happened in the car accident? No one got hurt, did they?"

"I don't think so… I didn't actually see anything to be honest, so I'm not sure what happened."

"Really? The road must have been busy then."

Rose frowned. "Not really. Now that I think about it, I didn't even see a car. But I know the road was closed off; I definitely couldn't get through."

"That's odd." John wondered, eyebrows furrowing.

"Yeah…" A strange shiver crawled up Rose's spine, an instinctual feeling that something was wrong. Shaking it off, she soon changed the subject. "Anyway, should we go in and get some lunch? Dunno about you, but I'm starving!"

"Sounds good to me." Following suit, John forgot about the weird situation Rose had just described. He was only too happy to continue on his way into the coffee shop and spend more time with her.

The two of them grabbed a table situated next to the window (John, ever the gentleman, gave Rose first choice), and they sat in silence while they both studied the menu. It was a comfortable silence, however – the bustle of London in addition to the chatter in the café ensured that their lack of talking didn't make things awkward. John couldn't resist letting his eyes drift away from the menu and settle on Rose's face. There was a slight crease between her eyebrows as she focused on reading, and she chewed her lip as she struggled to make a decision on what to order.

"Anything take your fancy?" John asked conversationally.

Rose looked up, an expression of vague surprise enlightening her features. _I can think of one thing, yeah_ , she thought as she gazed back at John, but didn't voice her thoughts for obvious reasons. "Er… I think I'll have a portion of chips. Oh, and a cuppa. What about you?"

A smile slowly spread across John's lips. He loved that Rose wanted to order chips, regardless of being in a slightly posh coffee shop. She could quite easily feel uncomfortable, or wary of what people would think of her, but she didn't. Her down-to-Earth attitude was another thing John found admirable, which inspired him to reply the way he did. "You know what? That sounds brilliant! Just brilliant – I think I'll have the same," he stood up in preparation to order at the counter.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked as she watched him, poised to walk away.

"That's a good question, actually. I was going to order, at the counter… Is that what you do? Go and tell them what you're having up there?" John gestured towards the queue of three people already stood there. He looked a little disoriented.

Rose giggled at how ridiculous he was. "Yeah, that's usually what people do. You paying, then?" she continued teasing him, smirking all the while.

"Oh? Oh! Yes, of course. Pay, that's what I should do…" Still looking slightly confused (which Rose found all the more hilarious), John patted his clothes in the general pocket areas. Before long, he extricated his wallet out of his left trouser pocket and hastily opened it, searching for any trace of cash inside. However, his face fell when he discovered he only had a few pennies on him. "Rose, I, er, I'm sorry. I seem to have left my money back at the hotel. I'm so sorry, I should have made sure before I left. I'm so disorganised, I really need to sort myself out-"

"Cheapskate!" Rose acted shocked, giving John a gentle shove. When she saw how guilty he still looked, she changed her tone so she would come across as genuine. "It's alright! I was half joking anyway. I should have enough for both of us, so don't worry."

John appeared humbled by her offer, especially since he'd let her down again. "Thank you, Rose. I promise I'll pay you back as soon as I can," he insisted, big eyes staring sincerely at her.

"No problem. Here, a tenner should cover it," she slid a ten pound note over the table, her hand lingering on it.

John immediately took it, his fingers just catching Rose's as he did. A warm tingle tickled the skin that had made contact with Rose, and caused a faint pink colouring to crawl across his cheeks. In order to avoid letting his embarrassment be seen by her, John turned away from Rose and headed over to the counter as quickly as he could. He mentally cursed himself for behaving so awkwardly. He'd never felt as comfortable with anyone as he did with Rose, but he also ended up acting like a complete fool every time he was around her. What was wrong with him? Taking a breath, John forced himself to relax. _You're with Rose, having a cuppa, and there's nothing to worry about – just chill out!_ He told himself, and smiled. He was enjoying himself, and he certainly wasn't going to let his own idiocy get in the way of that.

Soon, John was concentrating on carefully carrying a tray, as the bowls of chips and teacups slid about precariously. A chuckle escaped Rose's lips as she watched him, all wonky eyebrows and jutting elbows. He really was a character.

"Here we are!" he exclaimed, placing the tray down, but not before a splash of tea was spilled. "Sorry about the mess, I really tried my best."

"I can see that." Rose smiled. "Looks nice though."

"Hm? Yeah, they do! I love chips, me. Especially when they're crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside – mwa!" With his last sound, John kissed his hand and in an Italian-esque gesture suggested he was impressed with the food.

This made Rose laugh again. "I know what you mean! Chips are my favourite. Where do you usually eat, like, when you're on the road and stuff?" She realised it was a silly question, but it definitely was a start for a conversation.

"Mostly just cafes like this one. I often take-out and eat in the car, but every now and then I'll treat myself to eating in." John replied as he bit into a chip, not thinking her question was silly in the slightest.

Moving on from inquiries about food habits, Rose addressed a tinge of melancholy that she detected in his tone. "Don't you ever get lonely? Tables for one, sitting alone in your car with no one to talk to… It must get boring, on your own all the time."

"You live alone, don't you?" John countered, curious as to what her justification would be.

"Well, yeah, but I go to work most days. And I've got my friends, and God knows my mum calls me all the time – she never leaves me alone!" Although she spoke in humour, there was still sympathy in Rose's voice. She sipped at her tea, partly to avoid John's intense gaze.

"Good point." John gave a hollow chuckle. "I suppose it does get a bit lonely sometimes. But I love travelling. I see so many wonderful sights: bright orange sunrises and sunsets over vast green fields, twisting silver rivers that cut through quaint valleys, flowers blooming in the hundreds and pouring down luscious hills… Not a bad life."

"Better with two." Rose's eyes suddenly flicked from her drink to John's face with blazing focus. Whilst John had been talking, she'd realised there was no longer any point in holding back. He was clearly growing in confidence – in fact, he'd been quite confident around her from the start – so why shouldn't she be? "I bet it would be nice, you know, travelling together."

"I wouldn't know, to be honest." John spoke distractedly, quite oblivious to the implications of Rose's words. However, when he saw vague disappointment in her face, he soon snapped back to attention. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean that travelling with someone doesn't sound _nice_ , I just meant I wouldn't know because I've only ever travelled alone… I'm digging a hole again, aren't I?"

Grinning, Rose nodded. "Kind of, yeah."

"I seem to be doing that a lot lately." John winced, hoping he hadn't offended her. Fortunately, she seemed to take it all in good humour. "I think you're right, though. It's all well and good living this fantastic life, but it would be more interesting having someone to share it with," he gazed at Rose expectantly.

Hesitant, Rose lowered a chip she'd been preparing to eat. She was completely immersed in the moment, therefore reluctant to ruin it by scoffing food. "Is… that an invite?" She asked tentatively, unwilling to jump to conclusions.

"If you want it to be."

"Seriously?" An uncertain smile crossed Rose's lips.

"Yeah! Why not? I mean, if you'll put up with me." John teased, a playful expression on his face.

Any trace of doubt was eradicated from Rose's smile as it extended into a joyful grin. "Oh my God! I'd love to! I mean, I don't know if I could; like I said before, I've got my job, and my friends, and my mum would go crazy worrying about me…" A crease appeared on Rose's forehead again as she considered the less favourable details restricting her from her desired road trip.

"And what did I tell you before, Rose?" John's voice softened as he leaned close to her, elbows on the table. "Nothing's really stopping you, if you think about it. Once in a lifetime opportunity, this is. If you want to travel, do it. Follow your heart, not your head. I know it might sound cheesy, but it's true. If your heart's in the right place – and I can tell yours is – you can never go wrong."

"Yeah." Rose spoke dreamily, her gaze drifting slightly.

"Me and you, travelling the globe together in my little old car. Can you imagine? How fun would that be? And don't worry if it takes you a while to get ready, I can wait. I'd wait forever. Okay, maybe not that long – I am very restless. Really though, I think it might do me some good to settle, even just for a little while." John stopped in his tracks, realising he was babbling again. He also noticed Rose was staring into the distance, looking a little worried. "Rose? Are you alright? I'm not scaring you off, am I?"

Fading out of her reverie, Rose focused once again on John. "No! No, not at all. I was just… Never mind." The truth was, it had suddenly hit her that she didn't know John at all. Here she was, willing to embark on a world-wide road trip with a complete stranger. What would her mum say? She wouldn't be happy, Rose knew that for sure. She wouldn't blame her, either.

Rose cursed herself for getting swept up in John's enthusiasm. It was contagious, his personality so infectious and easy to get on with. She did feel as if she'd known him a lot longer than she had. But that was no excuse, surely? Even if she adored the way he was, his quirkiness, his hobbies, his mannerisms, his appearance, the way he looked at her – actually, so what if she'd known him two days? Why did time make a difference? Rose had already decided not to hold back; treating John as a friend instead of a stranger was part of that process. That being said, she was aware it would be rather ridiculous to travel the world with him straight away.

John was still staring at Rose, patiently awaiting an elaboration on her most recent words. She began to speak. "Sorry about that. I'd love to travel with you, really I would. It's just… Is it okay if we hang out a bit first? Get to know each other a bit more, visit some more local places together, go on a few dates?" The last word had slipped off her tongue before her brain checked it, but it was too late now.

"That's absolutely fine! Of course, I didn't expect you to leap into my car right away. That would be ridiculous!" John agreed, and Rose gave a small sigh of relief. "And dates, dates are a good idea. Really good."

Rose groaned inwardly. "I thought you hadn't noticed."

John laughed. "It's alright. I was going to ask you if you wanted to go out again, as a more kind of date-y… thing," he cringed as he realised how stupid he sounded.

"I think I'd enjoy that." Rose confirmed, biting her lip. A warm, nervous feeling was spreading through her stomach, reminding her of how much she liked John. She was falling for him, she couldn't help it. And it seemed she was falling fast.

John felt very much the same way. He leaned a little closer, sliding his hand across the table so it lay a few centimetres away from Rose's. All he wanted was to be near to her, but he obviously didn't want to force anything. There was still a niggle of self-doubt at the back of his mind preventing him from acting in total confidence, and he needed Rose to get rid of it.

Seeing John's hand move closer to hers, Rose felt her heart begin to hammer. She wanted nothing more than to grab it and hold it for as long as she could, but that would be a bit more forceful than she wanted to be. Instead, she allowed her fingers to creep closer to John's so there was a tiny bit of contact between them, hoping he would make the final move.

When Rose's fingers touched his, John felt a twinge in his chest that told him this was right. This moment, this person, was just right for him. So, urging himself to have courage, John gently wrapped his hand around Rose's, so their fingers were interlocking. As their eyes met once again, an understanding passed between them. They felt the same about each other, and there was no way they were going to let this opportunity pass them by.

Rose was John's missing piece, and vice versa. But, just as the jigsaw of their lives finally slotted into place, things went wrong. Horribly wrong.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks again to the wonderful whovianhalfblood for beta-reading!**


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